Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

'Nanoglassblowing' Seen As Boon To Study Of Individual Molecules

Date:

June 17, 2008

Source:

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Summary:

Researchers have developed a new fabrication technique called 'nanoglassblowing' that creates nanoscale fluidic devices to isolate and study single molecules in solution, including individual DNA strands.

Share This

Schematic of a T-junction nanofluidic device with a "nanoglassblown" funnel-shaped entrance to a nanochannel. The funnel tapers down to 150 micrometers (about the diameter of a human hair) at the nanochannel entrance. Right: Photomicrograph of the T-junction with the first section of the nanochannel visible at the bottom. The colors are a white light interference pattern caused by the changing depth of the curved glass funnel.

Credit: Elizabeth Strychalski, Cornell University

While the results may not rival the artistry of glassblowers in Europe and Latin America, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Cornell University have found beauty in a new fabrication technique called "nanoglassblowing" that creates nanoscale (billionth of a meter) fluidic devices used to isolate and study single molecules in solution--including individual DNA strands. The novel method is described in a paper in the journal Nanotechnology.

Related Articles

Traditionally, glass micro- and nanofluidic devices are fabricated by etching tiny channels into a glass wafer with the same lithographic procedures used to manufacture circuit patterns on semiconductor computer chips. The planar (flat-edged) rectangular canals are topped with a glass cover that is annealed (heated until it bonds permanently) into place. About a year ago, the authors of the Nanotechnology paper observed that in some cases, the heat of the annealing furnace caused air trapped in the channel to expand the glass cover into a curved shape, much like glassblowers use heated air to add roundness to their work. The researchers looked for ways to exploit this phenomenon and learned that they could easily control the amount of "blowing out" that occurred over several orders of magnitude.

As a result, the researchers were able to create devices with "funnels" many micrometers wide and about a micrometer deep that tapered down to nanochannels with depths as shallow as 7 nanometers--approximately 1,000 times smaller in diameter than a red blood cell. The nanoglassblown chambers soon showed distinct advantages over their planar predecessors.

"In the past, for example, it was difficult to get single strands of DNA into a nanofluidic device for study because DNA in solution balls up and tends to bounce off the sharp edges of planar channels with depths smaller than the ball," says Cornell's Elizabeth Strychalski. "The gradually dwindling size of the funnel-shaped entrance to our channel stretches the DNA out as it flows in with less resistance, making it easier to assess the properties of the DNA," adds NIST's Samuel Stavis.

Future nanoglassblown devices, the researchers say, could be fabricated to help sort DNA strands of different sizes or as part of a device to identify the base-pair components of single strands. Other potential applications of the technique include the manufacture of optofluidic elements--lenses or waveguides that could change how light is moved around a microchip--and rounded chambers in which single cells could be confined and held for culturing.

This work was supported in part by Cornell's Nanobiotechnology Center, part of the National Science Foundation's Science and Technology Center Program. It was performed while Samuel Stavis held a National Research Council Research Associateship Award at NIST.

National Institute of Standards and Technology. "'Nanoglassblowing' Seen As Boon To Study Of Individual Molecules." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 June 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080612100445.htm>.

National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2008, June 17). 'Nanoglassblowing' Seen As Boon To Study Of Individual Molecules. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 31, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080612100445.htm

National Institute of Standards and Technology. "'Nanoglassblowing' Seen As Boon To Study Of Individual Molecules." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080612100445.htm (accessed March 31, 2015).

More From ScienceDaily

More Matter & Energy News

Featured Research

Mar. 31, 2015 — Researchers have recorded the first direct observations of the micro-scale mechanisms behind the ability of skin to resist tearing. The results could be applied to the improvement of artificial skin, ... full story

Mar. 31, 2015 — A year ago, researchers showed that their software endowed the walking robot Hector with a simple form of consciousness. Their new research goes one step further: they have now developed a software ... full story

Mar. 31, 2015 — Landfills can make a profit from all their rotting waste and a new patent explains exactly how to make the most out of the stinky garbage sites. Decomposing trash produces methane, a landfill gas ... full story

Mar. 31, 2015 — Scientists have achieved an unprecedented level of control over defects in liquid crystals that can be engineered for applications in liquid matter photonics. Sitting with a joystick in the comfort ... full story

Mar. 30, 2015 — Neuroscientists are taking inspiration from natural motor control to design new prosthetic devices that can better replace limb function. Researchers have tested a range of brain-controlled devices ... full story

Mar. 30, 2015 — Speaking in public is the top fear for many people. Now, researchers have developed an intelligent user interface for 'smart glasses' that gives real-time feedback to the speaker on volume modulation ... full story

Mar. 30, 2015 — By studying the morphology and physiology of plants with tiny conical "hairs" or microfibers on the surface of their leaves, such as tomatoes, balsam pears and the flowers Berkheya purpea and Lychnis ... full story

Mar. 30, 2015 — In the first study of its kind, scientists quantitatively show that electric vehicles will meet the daily travel needs of drivers longer than commonly assumed. They found that batteries that have ... full story

Mar. 30, 2015 — One researcher has developed a clever solution to gather naturalistic driving data. For several years, she has been using a detailed driving simulator to study how participants respond to ... full story

Bionic Ants Could Be Tomorrow's Factory Workers

Reuters - Innovations Video Online (Mar. 30, 2015) — Industrious 3D printed bionic ants working together could toil in the factories of the future, says German technology company Festo. The robotic insects cooperate and coordinate their actions and movements to achieve a common aim. Amy Pollock reports.
Video provided by Reuters

Related Stories

Feb. 23, 2015 — Researchers have developed a new, low-cost method to build DNA nanotubes block by block -- a breakthrough that could help pave the way for scaffolds made from DNA strands to be used in applications ... full story

May 23, 2011 — Researchers have trapped individual charged particles in an aqueous solution using a method called "Paul trapping," which uses oscillating electric fields to confine the particles to a ... full story

Mar. 31, 2011 — Do the principles of quantum mechanics apply to biological systems? Until now, both biologists and physicists have considered quantum systems and biological molecules to be like apples and oranges. ... full story

July 10, 2010 — Researchers in the Netherlands have developed a new type of nanopore devices that may significantly impact the way we screen DNA molecules, for example to read off their sequence. The scientists ... full story

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.